


Skate to the Finish

by Eve_of_the_Stars



Series: Skate It [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Also Viktor is Love and Viktor is Life, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Cao Bin is My Child Now, Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, I Put Him On Way Too High a Pedestal, Multi, Sorry guys, This Fic is Half-Crack BTW, Vicchan still dies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-14 09:29:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11780283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eve_of_the_Stars/pseuds/Eve_of_the_Stars
Summary: It starts with a curious Yuri, Viktor Extra Nikiforov, and far too many mistakes to count.All in all, a normal season in the life of competitive ice skating.





	1. Celebrations in China

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What even are tenses. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Don’t own YoI. You should be glad. Also be aware that this ain’t beta’d, so enjoy this crappy story about what could’ve been.
> 
> Also, I actually wrote this entire story before posting it! I'm so proud of my self control.

“What a surprising turnaround for this year’s Grand Prix Final! First time finalist, Japan’s Yuuri Katsuki, has won bronze, beating Canada’s Jean-Jacques Leroy by just under a point! Russia’s Champion, Viktor Nikiforov, remains at his undisputed first place, taking Grand Prix gold for the fifth time in a row!”

Viktor winks at him before skating out, taking his five-year-running place at the center of the rink.

Yuuri is already overwhelmed by the flashing lights, the cheers, he almost faints dead on the ice when the Russian did. He knows Chris is laughing silently on the other side of Viktor, even as he preens proudly for the cameras.

The weight of his skates beneath his feet is grounding, the voices in his head drowned out by the loud screaming and announcements Morooka is making.

He’s standing on the same ice as Viktor, at the same time, at the Grand Prix Final.

His heart races.

-v-

_3 (Three) New Messages_

_Phichit_  
_[sawadee-krup, Yuuri! are you in China yet?]_

_[Viktor’s skating the cup of china too!]_

_[aren’t you lucky?]_

Yuuri smiles at the new messages, swiping at them to reply.

[Sawadee-krup, Phichit.]

[Yes, I just got to the hotel.]

[I’m excited to see Viktor! Hopefully  
I don’t mess up to bad…]

Phichit’s replies are swift and up-lifting as usual, despite the time difference.

_[don’t worry, Yuuri!]_

_[you’ll do great!]_

_[you’ve been landing all your jumps in practice]_

_[and i’ll be rooting for you, so_  
_there is no way u will lose!]_

[Kopkunkrup. :)]

[I need to check in now.]

[Talk to you later!]

_[c u! <3 <3]_

Celestino hands him his keycard and they ride up the elevator together, them being on the same floor but in different rooms. The elevator stops at the eleventh floor, briefly, and before they get a chance to blink a silver haired blur is rushing in and hitting the ‘close doors’ button rapidly.

«VIKTOR! POLUCHITE ZDES', CHTO VY FIL'TRUYETE!» A woman’s voice shouts out, making them all wince before the doors slide shut.

Yuuri swallows and he turns to see perfect silver hair and vibrant blue eyes, leaning against the elevator railing with sweat running down his temple.

Viktor Nikiforov, four time Grand Prix gold finalist, four time World Champion, The Living Legend himself, turned to smile at them.

“Sorry about that,” he said in English with the usual Russian accent. “Sanya’s been quite wound up since this is her last season in competitive skating.” He punctuates the statement with a wink.

“I see,” Celestino answers for the both of them. Yuuri is grateful; he wasn’t sure he could say one word to his long-time idol without stuttering all over the place.

Viktor leans over Yuuri to press the button for the top floor, and Yuuri quite literally feels his heart stop.

Viktor’s eyes linger on him for a moment even when he straightened back up tapping a finger on his chin.

His fingers snap.

“You’re Katsuki! I saw your performance at last year’s Nationals; it was stunning!” Yuuri is quite aware he’s gaping, jaw going slack.

“Th-thank you,” he says demurely. “That means a lot to me.” The elevator doors slide open again, this time on his and Celestino’s floor, and he’s both eager and reluctant to walk away.

“I’m looking forward to competing against you!” Viktor says as a good-bye, waving as Yuuri steps out. Once the doors of the elevator close, Yuuri slumps against the wall, holding a hand to his rapidly beating heart.

「Oh my god. Oh my god,」Yuuri mutters in Japanese. “Viktor knows who I am. Viktor saw me skate. Viktor thought I was stunning.” Celestino watched his prodigy skater with slight amusement, before reaching over to pat his shoulder.

“Get some rest, Yuuri,” he advises. “You don’t want to be tired.” Yuuri nods, still dazed, and stumbles to his room, 2009. His suitcase trails in behind him, and he drops his backpack on the ground to flop onto the bed, bouncing slightly. He had just spent 14 hours on a plane, China was ahead of Detroit by 12 hours, and the exhaustion was beginning to kick in.

That didn’t stop his brain from running rampant with thoughts about a certain Russian figure skater.

-v-

Yuuri’s practice sessions don’t start till the next day, so he has one entire day to do as he wishes before it’s back to the ice. Of the ten men’s participants of this year’s Cup of China, Yuuri is only vaguely familiar with Michele, and even that’s only because Sara seems to have made it her mission to call attention to him every time she sees him.

Instead, he spends the day wandering the city and replaying his programs over and over in his head. Once or twice he pops into a store to get souvenirs, though they are mostly more Viktor Nikiforov merch. It’s not his fault shipping fees are expensive! His collection in Detroit is quickly coming close to totalling the one back in Hasetsu, even if he has tried to tone it down over the years. To be honest, it’s only gotten worse since he can now buy stuff for himself.

“Yuuri~ Hi!” Yuuri gulps as Sara Crispino pops out of nowhere to grin at him, Michele not far behind. What kind of karma did he gather to be subject to this?

“Hello, Sara,” he manages to greet civilly, avoiding Michele’s death glare.

“Want to come get lunch with us? Cao Bin recommended a few restaurants around here.” Yuuri shook his head frantically.

“N-no thank you! I was planning on going back to the hotel,” he declines sheepishly. Sara pouts.

“That’s too bad...oh well! Let’s go!” she tugs along her brother, who casts one last glare at him before it changes to the brotherly-love sick expression he usually wears when he and Sara interact.

Yuuri smiles to himself as he watches the two go off, before he starts retracing his steps back to the hotel.

He eats lunch at a restaurant very close to the hotel, where the food is okay but more importantly, cheap, before he goes back to his room and pulls out his laptop. He has a YouTube playlist of a solid 1000+ videos dedicated to Viktor, and he always chooses a few to watch before he goes into competition.

This time he chooses one from four years ago, when Viktor was just beginning his greatest legacy. The first bars of Lost Regalia, an original composition, play out, the sharp notes of piano breaking the silence. The gold embroidery on Viktor’s black pants sparkle when it hits the light just right, a deep purple half-shoulder cape flaring out on his left side every time younger Viktor spins or launches into a jump.

This Viktor is the same age Yuuri is, yet he already had the figure skating world on its knees. This Viktor already had the quad flip listed as his signature move, already had dozens of golds and silvers to his name.

Usually comparing himself with others triggered his anxiety, but this was Viktor. Viktor, a god amongst men, his childhood idol. He didn’t expect to match up, but what it did do was inspire him to do better. Work harder.

Yuuri nodded determinedly to himself.

This time for sure. This time, he would make it.

-v-

As part of group one, Yuuri mainly has his open practices in the morning. Besides him, there are four other skaters, but they leave each other alone and focus on doing their warm ups. With only five skaters on the ice, there’s enough room to do some components of their routines, but they don’t get a complete run through until the next day. Yuuri focuses mainly on his quad toe loop, which he can barely land even on his best days.

He tries not to feel disheartened when a younger, debuting skater - Leon Kieber of Germany - spins out of a quad toe loop easily and straight into a triple loop.

“Yuuri, you’re too stiff! Relax!” Celestino yells from rink-side, and Yuuri nods in acknowledgment.

“Yuuri!” Yuuri’s head snapped up at the unexpected voice, as did pretty much everyone else within hearing distance. “Bend your landing leg more and don’t hold your arms in so tight! Clear your mind!” Viktor flashed him a thumbs up from where he stood, smiling.

Yuuri is dead, he has to be.

His group’s open practice is over after another ten minutes, all of which Yuuri could feel Viktor’s eyes following him as he worked through his step sequence.

Celestino and Viktor are talking when he walks off the ice, though his coach pauses to hand him a bottle of water and his skate guards.

“Viktor, why are you here?” Yuuri pants, wiping sweat off with the back of his hand.

“My group is skating next!” Viktor replies simply, and Yuuri nearly smacks himself in the face. Of course.

The zamboni rolls off the freshly-surfaced ice, and the other group of men singles skaters slide onto the ice. Viktor bids them goodbye with a cheery wave, before he steps on the ice and instantly all the attention is on him.

Celestino gives one look at Yuuri’s wide-eyed and sparkling face before he laughs to himself and pats Yuuri on the shoulder.

“I’m going to head back to the hotel, Yuuri. You stay and watch Viktor for as long as you like, okay?” Yuuri sputters back some kind of reply that only gets him another laugh, cheeks starting to take on a pink tinge.

When Celestino is gone, Yuuri returns to watching Viktor leap through his short program, landing a clean triple axel with one arm in the air. None of Viktor’s programs had been released yet, seeing as the Cup of China was the first event of the season Viktor was participating in, and Yuuri couldn’t wait to see what Viktor was going to do.

No matter what, Viktor always surprised him on the ice. It was amazing, how the man constantly one-upped himself to create something so breathtakingly beautiful.

The buzzer goes off far too soon, signalling that the group’s time was over. Viktor steps off the ice and is handed his stuff from Yakov, the two conversing in Russian for a few minutes as Viktor sits down to take off his skates.

Yuuri takes his leave quickly, dragging his skating back behind him as he makes his way back to the hotel. As he does, he can’t help but think about the movements Viktor had been practicing, trying to put them together into a logical program. It’s hard, because he doesn’t know which are from his free program versus his short program, but he enjoys it anyways.

-v-

_[Have u met him yet]_

_[Isn’t he cute]_

[I met him]

[I can see why he came close to beating you several times]

[and yes, he’s cute!]

_[I knew it]_

_[he’s just your type]_

Viktor rolled his eyes fondly at Chris’s texts, fingers tapping at the small on-screen keyboard.

[i don’t have a type]

[u know that.]

_[hahahaha we’ll see ;)]_

_[See u soon]_

_[Masumi’s home <3]_

[have fun.]

 

-v-

 

The day of the competition rolls around quickly.

Yuuri is second-to-last in the first group, whilst Viktor is performing at the very end.

Fan Wei, a debuting skater who had won bronze at his last Junior World Champions and placed fourth at Skate America, was up first. Skating on his home ground, the stands were alight with excitation.

The song he was skating to told the story of a boy growing up alone, chasing companionship but not really understanding what it met until he met someone. He did well, and Yuuri could tell by the effortless elegance and grace he held himself with was by years of ballet, but he fumbled a few jumps and came out slightly off beat with the music. His final score was 78.63, about equal to his score in America.

They had put a lot of younger skaters at the Cup of China, and while many of them were good, they didn’t have the experience to beat out Michele and certainly not Viktor.

Yuuri wondered where that left him.

By the time his time to skate rolled around the highest score on the board was an 84.21 by Leon, who had gone third. The German skater definitely had skill and technique, but his presentation could use some work.

Yuuri took a deep breath as he shrugged off his jacket, revealing the black and white outfit underneath. As usual, it was a minimalist costume, only adding bright, glittery white lines along the trim of his shirt, but that suited him.

He skated a slow lap around the rink, cutting new lines into the ice, blocking out the sounds of the audience cheering for and against him.

The first low tone of Piano Concerto No. 2 by S. Rachmaninov echoed around the rink, and the dance started.

His first planned jump was a triple lutz, which he landed, but just barely.

The program went fairly well, for his standards. He had traveled a bit on his camel spin and his second triple loop turned into a double, but he’d landed his quad toe loop and that gave him confidence that he hadn’t completely failed.

And indeed he hadn’t. Yuuri let out a breath of relief at his score, leaning slightly on Celestino. 82.87. He was in second.

-v-

Yakov found him stretching against one of the walls near a TV, Russian Olympics jacket unzipped to reveal a dark blue button-up that faded up from black.

“Fifteen minutes, Vitya.” Viktor nodded in acknowledgement, using the wall to brace himself as he brought his leg up behind him. He may no longer be able to do a full biellmann spin, but years of ice skating and some ballet had kept him limber and loose.

Michele had snuck into third, landing a score of 80.93, meaning Leon was still on top, followed by Yuuri. Viktor reran his calculations in his head. Even his base score was several points above Leon’s, not to mention the several things he could do to improve his score even further.

When Viktor took the ice, the crowd exploded. The arms of the dark blue button-up faded to black at the edge of the sleeves and small, intricate black sequin designs trailed their way up his left arm. His pants were a simple black with blue sparkles on the bottom where it covered his skates, catching the light in all the right ways as he greeted the crowd. He had forgone his custom golden blades, seeing as they had clashed with the outfit, wearing his spares instead.

Because he was the last up, the ice was covered in scars and pockmarks, but he didn’t let it deter him. He had skated in these conditions far too many times to count, and he had still won.

He stood at the center of the ice, left foot propped up behind him on it’s toepick, right arm behind his back.

To Build a Home started out slow. A few hesitant piano notes, slowly gaining more strength. Then, the violin. Viktor leapt through the moves gracefully, rising and falling in time with the tempo. His jumps were flawless, his spins fast and carefully controlled. For the triple axel, he throws up an arm for the higher marks.

He ends with one arm raised, his face cast towards the ground and his skates crossed. Already he faintly knows what his score is going to be.

Yakov pats him on the back and mutters something about his step sequence being slightly off the beat, though they both know he was just being extraordinarily picky.

They announce his short program score half a minute after they reach the Kiss and Cry, the number 106.98 proudly boasted on the screen. It’s ten points off his world record, a point off his estimate, but within the range he usually scores during his first event of a new season. It’s more than twenty points ahead from anyone else, solidly landing him first for the day.

-v-

Yuuri and Phichit Skype call early in the morning/early in the evening. Phichit is busy practicing for the Trophée Éric Bompard, but he always has time to shove his hamsters in front of the camera and wave their tiny arms to make Yuuri laugh.

Phichit runs him through a dramatic retell of everything going on in the rink, from Eliza getting a new haircut to Oswald breaking up with his girlfriend due to a series of cheating from both of them. Supposedly, though, they were still on good terms.

“Now they’re just ‘friends with benefits’ I think, and it definitely works out better!” Phichit said with a smile even though Yuuri is furiously blushing behind his arms. Phichit logs off first, citing the literal mountain of school work he’s been putting off, and Yuuri decides to take a run.

He plugs in his earbuds and slides his phone into his pocket, letting the songs of his training playlist play as he runs around the area.

Men’s singles skate aren’t until the late afternoon, and it’s only eight thirty am. Yuuri takes a break twenty minutes after starting, plopping down in a bench at a park. He leans his back to stare at the sky, which is a grey-blue, signaling it may rain soon.

Hopefully it waits until Yuuri is on a plane back to Japan.

-v-

Viktor watches the women’s singles free program the day after his short program with Yakov, watching Sanya get silver for her last Cup of China. Sanya’s 30th birthday is in three months, but what would be considered young normally is ancient in the sports world. Already Sanya has started feeling the pains in her knees, ankles and back, and she’s less flexible than she used to be.

Sometimes, when he’s being truly selfish, he wishes he never goes through that. Skating is his life. It’s been his life for over twenty years, and he can’t imagine a life where he gets up one morning and doesn’t head straight for the skate rink.

-v-

The minute Yuuri returns to the hotel, he’s ambushed by a grey-brown poodle that looks far too much like Vicchan back home.

“Makkachin! Be careful!” Viktor chides, calling the dog to heal. Makkachin obeys, but only after giving a long lick to Yuuri’s face. “Sorry, Yuuri! She hasn’t gone out for a walk yet.” Yuuri nods dumbly, using the sleeve of his jacket to wipe the dog saliva off his face.

Makkachin bounces out the door the moment Viktor lets him, hopping around everywhere but never going on the street.

“See you this evening, Yuuri!” Viktor waves before running out to follow his dog, Makkachin starting to run so that Viktor would have to chase her.

Yuuri heart aches as he remembers his own dog, his family, his town.

He should visit them after the NHK, where there’s a week and a half long period between it and the Final.

-v-

Leon, for all his jumps and technical prowess, doesn’t have the stamina to bring that to shine in the long program. His presentation is definitely better, and everyone can tell he has some kind of connection to the music, the well known Erlkönig, by Franz Schubert, but it isn’t enough to make up for a missed quad lutz and a fumbled triple axel. Both Yuuri’s and Michele’s scores beat him, Michele leading by four points.

Viktor takes the ice at the end of the night, a wine-pink jacket with shining golden twists drawing the crowd’s attention. His skating style always varied every year, to continue surprising the audience, but a distinct change from his early days of fame was that his skating usually lacked the androgynous tone he had become known for in his juniors and early seniors.

Stammi Vicino plays overhead, and the crowd’s cheers only grow louder.

-v-

Viktor takes gold at the Cup of China with a short program of 106.98 and a free skate score of 203.31, bringing his total to a neat 310.29, better than most skaters can do in their entire careers. Honestly, he thinks the judges overscored him, especially compared to Michele’s 183.09, meaning he lead the competition by just below 40 points.

Yuuri is beyond ecstatic just to win the bronze medal. He’s standing on the same podium as Viktor, and his dreams are coming to life right in front of him.

_1 (One) New Message_

_Chris G._  
_[see u at rostelecom, v!!!]_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Poluchite zdes', chto vy fil’truyete! - Get back here you filthy coward! 
> 
> Btw I’m using google translate, don’t mind me offending all native speakers around the world...
> 
> I am unsure if capes are okay to wear in competitions, but I claim creative license when it comes to programs, their songs, and costumes. xP Speaking of songs, I’m not a big fan of general classical/ballet/skating music, so I’ve taken some liberties when it comes to each skater’s programs. I’ve tried to stay with songs that match each skater’s country, but you’ll probably see some out-of-place songs popping up now and then. Take the songs as a very broad guideline to the music they’re skating to.


	2. I Live in my Own Little World (But it's ok, They Know me Here)

At the Trophée Éric Bompard, JJ wins gold whilst Otabek claims silver. Leo de la Iglesia makes bronze, barely beating out Emil. Phichit makes fifth, unfortunately, and with his third at Skate America it means he won’t be going to the Final.

 

By this point, the only confirmed finalists are JJ, with gold at Canada and France, and Michele with silver at America and China. Of course, it’s practically guaranteed that Viktor will win the Rostelecom Cup, and Chris with his gold at America isn’t far behind. Cao Bin’s silver at Canada also makes him a strong competitor, leaving Yuuri and Georgi for potential finalists.

 

If Yuuri can’t score above Georgi, he can kiss that ticket to the Final good bye.

 

In the month in between China and the NHK, Yuuri returns back to Detroit. He has piles of homework to finish before he has to take off again, and he’s glad his college and professors are accepting of his career.

 

Phichit’s hamsters are glad to see him again, he had always been an animal person, and crawl all over him when they’re able.

 

Celestino gives him a couple days off to catch up on his studies before he goes back to training, running through the weak spots in his program. Particularly, he tries to get the quad salchow to the point where he feels confident enough to land it in competition, but it’s a long stretch.

 

Once or twice, when Celestino isn’t looking, he tries a quad flip, but it always ends with him sprawled out on the ice with his limbs aching.

 

He always lands on the wrong edge, or doesn’t bend his knee enough, or doesn’t get enough rotations. He has more success with refining his quad toe loop and triple lutz, but one look over his program base scores let him know he can’t even stand to match up to Cao Bin at NHK.

 

Cao Bin was one of the older skaters, matching Viktor’s age, and had the experience to go with it. Cao Bin was known for his step sequences, one of the reasons Yuuri’s had gone unnoticed, but he also had most of the jumps under his belt as well. In addition, the fast paced programs the Chinese skater made always enthralled the crowd, and he and Chris alternated for second below Viktor frequently.

 

If he could add another quad toe somewhere or move some jumps to the second half, he had a chance of matching Cao Bin’s base score, but only barely. The problem was actually _landing_ the jumps in competition.

 

When the week of the Rostelecom Cup approaches, he and Phichit bundle up in their dorm room to watch.

 

Viktor’s To Build a Home program is even better than it was at the Cup of China, and Chris’ usual over-sensual program earns him a well-deserved second place. Chris’s short program is only six points off Viktor’s score, closer than anyone else in the season. It’s Seung-gil, surprisingly, that takes third place right out of Leon’s hands. Or, perhaps, not surprisingly, considering Leon’s favorite jump was the loop, and Seung-gil was one of the few skaters who could land a quad loop in an international competition.

 

Both Phichit and Yuuri have classes the next day at the time the Rostelecom Cup will be livestreaming, and with heavy hearts the two skaters resign to watching it when they get back. Phichit’s classes run a little later, so Yuuri lounges around their dorm room as he waits for his friend to get back.

 

When the other boy does, they leap right to finding a good video and watching their friends and future competitors create their magic on ice.

 

Seung-gil and Leon’s battle takes place late in the second group, Leon pulling out all the stops to increase his score. Arms raised, upgrading his doubles to triples, even switching out a double loop for a quad toe loop at the end. He performs masterfully, and Yuuri can tell he’ll be one of the best skaters in the next generation. Seung-gil fights back just as fiercely, using his repertoire of quads expertly. They both have a common weakness of scoring low presentation points, but Seung-gil has more experience and jumps.

 

The Korean wins their match by a point, topping with a free skate score of 189.05, a new personal best.

 

Chris has his work cut out for him, but Yuuri can’t see any tenseness or nervousness when the Swiss skater takes the ice. Chris had always worked through his emotions well, a trait Yuuri envied. Phichit giggles whenever Chris’ behind gets too close to the camera, while Yuuri looks away with a faint dusting of blush on his cheeks. Chris skates his best of the season so far, no errors in his programs. Swiss skaters tended to specialize in spins, but Chris was also a skilled jumper. Yuuri remembers the hours Chris worked towards his jumps when he was a junior, knowing it had probably only increased since then. No doubt due to his drive to beat Viktor once and for all.

 

The crowds literally scream when their national hero steps onto the ice, Viktor’s silver hair reflecting off the lights and his eyes glowing in contrast with his costume.

 

The differences between Viktor’s and Chris’ programs were all too apparent when they went up one after another. Though it could be admitted Chris’s spins were better than the Russian’s, Viktor was a masterful choreographer with the skill to pull off almost anything he wanted to put in. He had that personal touch with his routines and music that told everyone it was designed just for him, to win.

 

Absolutely no one is surprised when Viktor smiled at the camera, a gold medal hanging from his fingertips.

 

-v-

 

The time to fly to Japan, to his home country, approaches far too quickly for Yuuri’s tastes, and he’s on the plane before he knows it. Nagano is quite far away from Hasetsu, but it’s the closest he’s been to home in years; not counting any times he may have flown over Japan to reach other countries.

 

Back in his home country, the support is massive; he’s the only international-level senior figure skater Japan has right now, and they don’t let him forget. Sometimes it can be suffering, a vice placed around his neck he can’t get off without resorting to desperate measures.

 

It is soothing to be surrounded by his native language, though. Celestino can tell his student is more at ease, and smiles to himself.

 

Unfortunately, it doesn’t last long. Fans mob them at the hotel, and Celestino quickly checks them in and drags his skater to the elevators, slamming the ‘close doors’ button before the mob can get in.

 

“Yuuri, practice starts tomorrow, so get some sleep, okay?” he says as the elevator goes up. Yuuri nods, still a little shocked from the mob of fans below them. Celestino places a hand on his shoulder. “Yuuri, this is your best season so far. You can make it.”

 

Yuuri smiles. “Thanks, coach.”

 

It had taken a day and nearly eight hours to get to Japan, and Nagano was 13 hours ahead of Detroit. Though they had left on an early morning flight, hoping it would make adjustment easier, Yuuri was still exhausted. Luckily, it was a reasonable time to go to sleep. He blurrily set an alarm on his phone before crashing onto the sheets, shedding only his socks and jacket.

 

-v-

 

Viktor doesn’t think he’s seen Yuri look so determined before.

 

With the Junior Grand Prix coming up, the fact that Viktor had promised to choreograph his debuting program if he won gold was enough incentive for him to be practicing almost three times longer than before on the ice.

 

In the years since he met him, Yuri had grown out his golden hair so that it now just barely covered his right eye, though his physical height hadn’t changed all too much.

 

Hopefully the growth spurts didn’t hit during this or next season. He didn’t know how badly Yuri would react to losing just because his body was changing.

 

Viktor had been lucky, puberty changing him gradually, slowly, not the rate of horror stories he heard from other young skaters. He had even had enough time to finish his second year of seniors before his body was too masculine to pull off the androgynous look.

 

At Yuri’s age, he had had much the same figure. All stick limbs and endless flexibility, and if Yuri was going to grow into the same body type he had, it wouldn’t be pretty. Late bloomers always shot up fast.

 

Viktor sighed as he watches the other skaters. Yakov was always calling him irresponsible, so why was he in charge of coaching while he was gone?

 

-v-

 

「Do you need anything else?」the waitress asked politely, and Yuuri shook his head. Yuuri inhaled the scent of authentic, Japanese food, saliva gathering in his mouth. It had been so long.

 

Training that afternoon had been torturous; he, Cao Bin, and Georgi had all been in the same practice group, and he kept getting nervous and slipping on the ice. In the end, the only jump he had landed cleanly was a double axel.

 

Celestino promised to talk to the officials on moving him to the other group, but he had yet to get any text confirming that.

 

「Hi, Katsuki-kun. Do you mind if I join you?」Yuuri blinked in surprise as Cao Bin smiled at him, hazel eyes seeming golden in the low light.

 

「I didn’t know you spoke Japanese,」Yuuri said sheepishly as he nodded his consent.

 

「We’ve never competed in Japan together,」Cao Bin shrugged. That was true. He hadn’t competed directly against Viktor until this year’s Cup of China, too.

 

The waitress came back to take Cao Bin’s order a few minutes later, just as they were beginning to talk about their competition, and Cao Bin quickly gave his order so that they could continue with their conversation.

 

「You know, Nikiforov is quite interested in you,」Cao Bin said casually as he sipped at his soda.

 

「W-what?!」

 

「Russian Yuri’s a fan of yours, and Nikiforov found out, apparently.」Yuuri choked.

 

「Yuri Plisetsky? The Russian Punk? A fan?」Cao Bin shrugged.

 

「I was surprised too, especially considering his attitude.」

 

「But, why me? I’m just a dime-a-dozen Japanese skater, who can only land one quad in a competition?」Cao Bin eyed him amusedly, even as the waitress was back to place down a bowl of ramen.

 

「You’re Japan’s Ace, Katsuki Yuuri. Of course he’s going to take interest in someone famous with the same name as him.」Yuuri blushed, and stuffed his face with rice to prevent answering. Cao Bin took the hint with a smile and shrug, moving on to other topics.

 

The Chinese skater was a good conversationalist, and Yuuri was feeling significantly more relaxed by the time they parted ways at the hotel.

 

_3 [Three] New Messages_

 

_Celestino_

_[I managed to move your practice to early morning tomorrow, so rest!]_

 

_Phichit_

_[Yuuri]_

 

_[Yuuri guess what]_

 

Yuuri fires off a quick “thank you, I will!” to Celestino, before swiping to talk to Phichit.

 

[What, Phichit?]

 

_[I landed a quad toe loop!!!!!!!!]_

 

[Phichit, congratulations!]

 

[Chun phumjai mak!]

 

_[Kopkunkrup!]_

 

_[I’ll send you the video!!!!]_

 

_*File: 4t*_

 

_[I won’t be using it in competitions for a while, but you better watch out, Yuuri!]_

 

[we’ll see next year!]

 

_[;)]_

 

Yuuri plugged his phone into the charger, hearing it buzz to signify it was charging.

 

_I can only land a quad salchow less than 30% of the time in compeitions…_

 

Yuuri groaned and rolled over, pressing his face into a pillow, not caring he was practically crushing his glasses.

 

_I have to do better than Georgi tomorrow. Then I can go the Grand Prix Final, and skate on the same ice as Viktor again…_

 

-v-

 

Celestino facepalms as his student stumbles into early morning practice, dark bags under his eyes.

 

“Yuuri, did you get any sleep at all last night?” Yuuri just stares dumbly. Celestino seats him down on a bench and runs to fetch some coffee, hoping it would make the skater feel at least a little more energized.

 

“Yuuri, just go over your step sequence, okay? Then go back to the hotel and rest.”

 

Yuuri nods and finishes the cup, stepping onto the ice.

 

He manages not to fall throughout the whole practice, but he immediately flops onto the bed when he gets to his hotel room.

 

His brain is too tired to even think at the moment, giving him a nice, peaceful sleep for the next few hours.

 

-v-

 

«Wish me luck, Anya.» The ice dancer smiled at him, squeezing his hand gently.

 

«You’ll do great, Zhora.» Their noses touched in an eskimo kiss before Georgi took to the ice, his arms coming out to greet the audience.

 

“Georgi Popovich, who is turning 27 this year, is skating to Di 'a' vertiment. He’ll need to score silver or higher to advance to the Grand Prix Finals.”

 

The piece started with a strong violin presence, reverberating around the stadium. Georgi skated well in time with the piece, his jumps landing directly on the sharp base notes.

 

His triple axel landing was two footed, a mistake he knew would cost him, but he had gotten enough rotations.

 

_Just you watch, Viktor. I’ll make it to the Grand Prix Finals and beat you! I’ll become the top skater of Russia, and prove to Anya I can be better!_

 

“His score...is 86.21! Georgi Popovich is in first place!” Yakov gave him an approving smile before he was off to jump into Anya’s congratulating arms, the two skaters hugging and laughing happily.

 

“Next we have China’s Cao Bin, skating to Vanessa Mae's Destiny.”

 

As usual, the piece was fast-paced and excitable, with an easy rhythm to clap along with.

 

The Chinese skater’s hair was pulled back in a low ponytail that just reached his shoulders, flaring out a little as Cao Bin pulled off his signature quad lutz, triple loop combination.

 

The music went out with a bang, and the Chinese skater pulled out of his camel spin to throw his arms up and out, skates wide.

 

“A masterful performance by one of the world’s top skaters! Cao Bin, of China!”

 

Cao Bin took a bow, reaching back to pull out the hair tie keeping his hair back. He snatches first place from Georgi with a 98.27, a score to be proud of.

 

Yuuri chews on his lip as the last skater of group one takes the ice, French skater Lucien Lemaigre.

 

86.21 was two points over his best short program score. He probably had no hope in gaining a short program lead, meaning that it was going to be tomorrow’s free skate that counted.

 

Yuuri took the ice second in group two, meaning the ice was minimally scratched. The loud screaming of the crowd almost made him trip over his own skates, and that would have had him hanging up his skates for good and moving to Siberia.

 

His heart hammered away at his chest as he took his starting position, breaths coming fast even though he hadn’t started skating yet.

 

When he did, Yuuri could feel his body going through the moves, but he didn’t feel anything. Even when he landed his quad toe loop - under rotated, wobble in his skate, terrible free leg - he didn’t feel connected to the music at all.

 

He ends a little bit early, just a fraction of a second, but he can tell.

 

79.24.

 

He’s in fourth place.     

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Chun phumjai mak - I’m so proud!
> 
> *whistles innocently*
> 
> Cao Bin is my child now, don’t mind me, taking liberties with his character…
> 
> Ya know what else I’m taking liberties with? Scores. *whistles go up a volume*


	3. Tadaima

Yuri frowns at his screen, skates scraping against the ice. Viktor was busy helping Kesar with his quad salchow, Mila was at her apartment taking a sick day, and Yakov was in Japan, so there was nobody there to shout at him for looking at his phone. 

****

«What the hell kind of performance was that?» he mutters angrily at his phone, shaking it as if it could magically change the results of a competition thousands of miles away. «Tch.»

****

And he had thought he had finally found someone worth his attention. What a complete drag. 

****

«Yuuuuuriiiiiiiii,» Viktor calls out, and Yuri flinches as Viktor skates far too fast at him, his skates sending ice shavings everyone as he breaks harshly. «I thought I told you to work on your step sequence,» and fuck is Viktor an even harsher coach than Yakov. 

****

«What are you watching?» Shit. No, Viktor cannot see he’s watching Yuuri Katsuki skate  _ again.  _ The first time was bad enough. 

****

«Nothing,» Yuri huffs back, moving to stick his phone back in his jacket. Viktor’s goddamned completely-out-of-nowhere  reflexes are faster though, snatching the phone out of his hand.

****

His face practically  _ lights up _ when he sees what Yuri was watching, the video paused right when Yuuri is taking his final pose.

****

He side eyed Yuri was an amused smile, holding his phone up with two fingers.

****

«I’ll be confiscating this for the rest of the day!» Yuri splutters as Viktor skates away, rewinding the video back to the beginning. 

****

«Fuck you, Viktor!»

****

«Step sequence, Yuri! Step sequence!»

****

-v-

****

_ [Chris] _

****

_ [Chris] _

****

_ [Christopheeeeeeee] _

****

_ [Mon meilleur ami, s’il vous plaît] _

****

[Ooo, french, you’re serious.]

****

[what is it?]

****

_ [you have Yuri’s phone number, right] _

****

[Yea,  _ Yuuri’s  _ phone number]

****

_ [can you give it to me] _

****

_ [please] _

****

[Viktor Nikiforov saying “please”]

****

[skating fans all over the world dying]

****

_ [Chrisssss ‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚] _

****

[how did you even type that so fast]

****

[nvm I don’t want to know]

****

_ [(|￣︶￣ |o] _

****

[u are utterly hopeless, I hope u know.]

****

[I assume this is about his short program?]

****

[Yuuri doesn’t perform well in his home country]

****

[expectations are too high]

****

[and he worries]

****

_ [really? most skaters do better in their home country] _

****

[he  _ worries _ , Viktor. a lot.]

****

_ [oh.] _

****

Chris can practically imagine Viktor’s ridiculous “I got it” face.

****

[plus, the guy’s looked up to you for]

****

[practically his entire life]

****

[I don’t think getting a text out of nowhere]

****

[saying it’s u is gonna help]

****

_ [へ[ •́ ‸ •̀ ]ʋ] _

****

_ [can u give him a message then.] _

****

[i can certainly try.]

****

-v-

****

Yuuri was dead, he has to be.

****

79.24.

****

_ Junior  _ figure skaters have scored better than that. It’s his fourth year in seniors; he can  _ certainly  _ do better than that. 

****

On the bedside table, his phone buzzes constantly.

****

Worried messages from Phichit, Celestino, his family, his friends in Detroit. Maybe even Cao Bin or Chris.

****

Even though he feels bad about it, he ignores them.

****

He really doesn’t feel up to human interaction right now.

****

The sobs catch in his throat. 

****

He wishes Vicchan was with him right now, that excitable little poodle who had always burrowed under his shirt and pawed at him until he had to do something to make the tickling  _ stop.  _ Who would shove his muzzle into his face and knock his glasses off the bed, slick his hair back with dog saliva. 

****

Yuuri clenches around an extra pillow in his dog’s absence, the tears rolling down his face. 

****

He’s not going to make it  _ again  _ this year. He was so  _ close.  _

****

His phone keeps buzzing. It’s getting really annoying, and really close to falling off the small table. 

****

Yuuri slaps his hand around to grab it by the charger, bring it to his face. 

****

He almost yelped when he reads the words “viktor has something to say to u”. 

****

It’s from Chris, who he knows wouldn’t tease him like this, so he quickly swipes the message to open. 

****

_ [so...yuuri] _

****

_ [viktor has something to say to u] _

****

_ [i swear on my gorgeously sculpted ass that i’m not joking.] _

****

_ [yuuri?] _

****

_ [are...you ok?] _

****

Yuuri has never typed faster in his life.

****

[please]

****

[what did he say?]

****

_ [HE LIVES!] _

****

_ [But in all seriousness…] _

****

_ [he said: You can do it, Yuuri. You can win. Davai.] _

****

What few remaining tears that are still in his eyes drips onto the shaking phone as he types out his reply.

****

[Tell him I said thank you, and that I’ll be 

cheering for him at the Grand Prix Finals.]

********  
  


_ [Yuuri, you have the skill to win.] _

****

_ [you just need to have confidence in yourself.] _

****

_ [you can do it.] _

****

_ [You’ve come close to beating me _

_ several times, haven’t you? ;)] _

****

Yuuri wonders what he’s done right to earn such supportive friends. 

****

[I’ll try my best.]

****

-v-

****

“First on the ice today, we have Michael Alvarado from the U.S.”

****

“Michael hasn’t been doing all that well this season, and many suspect his knee hasn’t fully healed from last year’s tragic incident.”

****

“Hopefully, we’ll get to witness him proving those rumours wrong!”

****

“Yuuri, remember, you are Japan’s top skater. You can be the world’s best skater. All you have to do is skate,” Celestino reminds him. 

****

Yuuri nods, his fingers fumbling his earplugs in his pockets. 

****

“Right.” He’s surprised that his voice barely wavers, one hand coming up to nervously flatten down any strands of hair that may have escaped the gel.

****

Celestino pats him on the back and lets him resume his stretching, sending not-very-subtle glares to the media whenever they get too close. 

****

Every year, for the four years Celestino has known and coached Yuuri, he had always,  _ always _ gotten so close to the Finals, only to fall short by the most infuriatingly small amount of points. 

****

He prays this year will be different.

****

-v-

****

Cao Bin exits the kiss and cry with a satisfied smile on his lips; he had scored a high 197.25 in his free skate, leaving him with 296.02 points. Here in Japan, the skating order had been arranged randomly, and Cao Bin was the last skater of group one. Yuuri was the first in group two, with Georgi coming two skaters after. 

****

Yesterday’s third place holder, Erich Ganz of Germany, had been the first skater on the ice. His total score of 271.4 was good, but not nearly enough to reach Cao Bin’s practically confirmed gold. 

****

Yuuri’s hands twisted nervously as he watched the zamboni slide across the ice, making slow, easy ovals across the surface. 

****

The glitter-metallic blue of his suit-like costume (that he did not design, thank you so very much Phichit) nearly blinded him as he unzipped his jacket, shivering slightly at the chill that came off the rink. He tugged at the wrinkled frills around his wrist, wondering not for the first time, why in ever loving God did Phichit think frills matched with Yuuri? 

****

Celestino nodded at him, knowing it was better if he didn’t say anything as he sent Yuuri off to the ice, a bundle of nerves ready to explode at the slightest touch.

****

_ You can do it, Yuuri. You can win. Davai. _

****

_ I saw your performance at last year’s Nationals; it was stunning! _

****

_ I’m looking forward to competing against you!  _

****

Yuuri jerked as Viktor’s words echoed in his head, accompanied by a smirk and gleam of blue eyes he had long memorized since middle school. 

****

The first bars of Czardas almost took him by surprise, but he let his body lead him into the familiar movements, arms fanned out gracefully as he glided along the ice. He rocked on his skate, turning himself backwards, arm held out in front of him…

****

A triple lutz, landed cleanly.

****

The crowd applauded loudly, but for once Yuuri didn’t let it get to him. 

****

Flying camel spin, out into a graceful Ina Bauer, and then leaping into a triple axel. 

****

For once, he felt at ease in a competition, an image of Viktor skating printed behind his eyelids.  _ How would Viktor enter into this jump? How would Viktor move his arms?   _ Things he had been asking himself for years, but seemed more personal this time around. 

****

The second half of the program was coming up, the music transitioning from a quick and high-energy violin to a slightly more gentle tone, mixed with soft notes of piano. He only has two jumps in the second half, a double salchow, triple lutz combination, and he feels comfortable enough going into it. 

****

Rather than feeling tired or worn out as he lands his final pose, he feels energized, reborn.

****

The Prima Ballerina Lilia Baronovskaya’s famous quote rang loudly in his head, a phrase Minako had drilled into his head several times when he was younger.

****

_ Only those who are willing to be reborn as many times as necessary are the strong ones. _

****

Celestino greets him with a giant bear hug as he steps off the ice. “That was your best performance yet, Yuuri!” They’re ushered to the kiss and cry, where Yuuri stares at the screen nervously, his glasses still absent from his face. 

****

“Yuuri Katsuki...is now in second place! He’s beaten his previous best free skate score by over thirteen points, landing 195.79!” 

****

The stadium explodes into cheers as Yuuri buries his face into his hands, joyful tears sliding down his face. He doesn’t know if he’ll make it to the finals, but he’s proud of that score displayed on the screen. 

****

On the wave of ecstasy, he hopes Viktor was watching him, that he knows how much of an impact his words had. 

****

-v-

****

Viktor and Yuri let out a loud cheer in unison, dancing around the bench in happiness. Kesar looks at them as if they’re insane, Mila is amusedly watching them, and Sanya is facepalming. 

****

«At least they actually agree on something for once,» Mila says reassuringly as she pats the elder female skater’s shoulder. 

****

«I feel betrayed,» Sanya moaned. «Shouldn’t we be cheering for Georgi?»

****

«We will!» Viktor shouts back as he finally reclaims his seat in the middle of the bench, Yuri tucked against his side and for once,  _ actually happy  _ to be there. 

****

«Japanese Yuuri’s quads were bloody horrific, but those  _ spins,  _ Viktor,» Yuri gasped, out of breath. 

****

«I know! He might even be better than us and Chris!»

****

«I need to work on my biellmann! And my donut! C’mon, Viktor, we’ve got to... »

****

Russia’s two top male skaters practically trip over themselves to get out of the lounge room, skate guards banging against the floor, heading for the rink as they continue talking about their mutual obsession. 

****

«We’ll be back in time to watch Georgi!» Viktor shouts over his shoulder before the door slams shut, one arm thrown over Yuri’s shoulders as they stumble down the hallway. 

****

«Boys,» Mila sighs.

****

Kesar seems offended that he would be put in the same group as the two. 

****

-v-

****

Yuuri tapped his finger anxiously on the window sill of the train, watching his surroundings blue by. The average train ride from Nagano to Hasetsu was about nine hours, and glancing at the clock every five seconds wasn’t going to speed it up.

****

At least, that’s what Yuuri told himself. 

****

Celestrino had flown directly out to Russia a day after the Grand Prix, whilst here he was, counting down the remaining three hours it would take to reach his home town. 

****

His phone buzzes in his pocket. 

****

_ [Hi, Yuuri!] _

****

_ [This is Viktor!] _

****

Yuuri drops his phone in his lap and has a heart attack right then, right there. 

****

_ [I got your phone number from Chris _

_ In case you were wondering] _

****

_ [You did great on your free program two days ago!!!!] _

****

_ [You know you’re a great skater when _

_ Bin takes you seriously] _

****

_ [He usually conserves his energy for a big bang at finals] _

****

_ [hold on Yuri (the russian one) has something to say] _

****

_ [he says, and I quote: you may be a top  _

_ skater now, Katsuki, but once I get into the _

_ seniors I’ll make you into borscht!] _

****

_ [Hahaha isn’t he so cute? <3] _

****

_ [now he’s trying to kill me with his skates- sorry, knife shoes] _

****

_ [or he’s trying to get your number, I can’t tell.] _

****

Yuuri considers the possibility that this may just be one, big joke, but it’s not really well known outside of the direct skating social circles that he’s good friends with Chris. Plus, there’s that +7 calling code attached to the number on top. 

****

His fingers shake as he types out a reply.

****

[Hello.]

****

[Thank you for supporting me.]

****

[I got your message from Chris.]

****

_ [I would have sent it directly myself, but Chris  _

_ wouldn’t give me your number till now!] _

****

_ [Can u believe him?] _

****

Yuuri mentally makes a new note for his to-do list: thank Chris for not giving Viktor his number right after his short program flop. He would have been mortified.

****

[Your encouragement really helped me 

get through my free program regardless.]

****

_ [;)] _

****

_ [Kesar is yelling at me now] _

****

_ [See you here in Russia, Yuuri!] _

****

Fuck.

****

Yuuri is going to die before he even reaches 25, if this continues.

****

-v-

****

The first person who greets him at the train station is a red-eyed, stuffy-nosed Minako, aided along by his mother. 

****

「Mi-Minako-sensei! Shouldn’t you be resting?」Yuuri squeaks as he spots her. Minako lazily jabs a finger at him, having to support most of her weight on Hiroko.

****

「As...as if I’d let my prodigy student come back home without a bang!  _ Achoo _ !」

****

「That was certainly a bang alright,」Hiroko laughs as she pats the ballet dancer on the back. Minako had apparently caught a particularly strong case of the flu, and had been unable to travel to the NHK. She probably wouldn’t be going to Sochi, either, if her doctor had any say. 

****

Yuuri is greeted various times as he walks through the town, encouraged/forcefully insisted along by his mother and teacher to stop for formalities and chit-chat. 

****

By the time he makes it home he’s ready for a bowl of extra large Katsudon and a nice, relaxing dip in the hot springs. His father was, apparently of the same mind.

****

「Yuu-kun!」his father greets, smiling as he gestures to the waiting bowl of pork cutlets, rice, and egg. 「Congratulations at winning the GP thingy!」Yuuri salivates over the still-steaming meal, quickly shedding his jacket, scarf, and hat. 

****

Just as he’s reaching out for the chopsticks, however, Vicchan comes bounding out of nowhere to tackle him to the floor. 

****

「Vi-Vicchan!」 Yuuri laughs, delighted. 「How have you been, boy?」The poodle thrived in the attention Yuuri was showering him with, preening. He barks loudly, burying his face into Yuuri’s stomach.

****

Yuuri yelps, before he starts laughing, Vicchan’s brown fur triggering his tickle reflex.

****

「Vi-Vicchan! Stop it!  _ Stop! _ 」Mari is laughing when she plucks the poodle off of him, much to it’s disappointment. 

****

「Welcome home, little bro.」Yuuri smiles up at her, flushed in the face and eyes gleaming.

****

「Tadaima.」

****

-v-

****

Yuuri slipped into the hot spring was a relieved groan, sinking in so that only his head was above the water level. 

****

Now  _ this  _ was a bath. The tiny showers in Detroit and hotels didn’t compare  _ at all.  _

****

「Oi, Yuuri, when you’re done, you better head to Ice Castle!」Mari shouts from behind a screen door. 「Yuko and Takeshi are askin’ for ya, but they’re too busy with customers!」

****

「Okay!」Yuuri calls back. 「Just...give me a few minutes...maybe a few hours...」

****

He winds up getting out of the spring ten minutes later, fetching his clothes. They were both too big and too small on him at the same time. He had grown taller, since he had returned home, but he was also skinnier and leaner. 

****

…

****

He’ll probably have to go clothes shopping if he wanted a new set of outfits to go to Russia with. 

****

-v-

****

Takeshi is the one working the front desk when he walks in, typing furiously on the ancient computer shoved in the corner. 

****

He jumps up when he sees Yuuri, a big smile overtaking his face. 

****

「Yuuri! How have you been,  _ debu _ ?」Yuuri laughed as Takeshi vaulted over the counter to throw an arm around his shoulder, squeezing. 

****

「Hey, I’m not that fat anymore, am I? Not compared to you, anyways,」the skater teased back, poking at Takeshi’s stomach.

****

The man laughed, smacking his hand away. 「Not all of us like to kill ourselves by training to rotate 1440 degrees in the air.」

****

「I can only do one quad anyways,」Yuuri protested. Takeshi shrugged.

****

「Close enough, ain’t it? OI! YUKO! GUESS WHO’S HERE?!」Before Yuuri gets the chance to be surprised by the loud yelling directly into his ear, Takeshi is manhandling him into the rink, shoving him through the doors as Yuko practically leaps over the rink wall to gather him in a suffocating hug.

****

「Yuuri! Oh my god, congratulations on getting to the Grand Prix Finals! Your free skate was so good!]

****

「Hi, Yuko,」Yuuri managed to choke out as the woman’s arms wound tighter around him. 

****

「Can you believe it? You get to skate with Viktor, like you’ve always dreamed of!」Yuko squeals, releasing her inner fangirl. 「Not that you haven’t skated with him before, but still! This is as one of the top six skaters in the  _ world! _ He’s gotta take notice of you now! I mean, besides the World Championships, but there are always so many people there.」

****

Yuuri laughed. If this was how Yuko was reacting to just Yuuri making it to the same event as Viktor, how would Yuko react to the messages on his phone?

****

He and Yuko found their way to a quiet corner, fangirling collectively about Viktor and catching up at the same time. 

****

Yuuri had no doubt that if Yuko hadn’t decided to get married and have the triplets (which were currently on a playdate with their friends, Yuko told him) she would have been one of the best female skaters of her time. Despite being two years older than Yuuri was, Yuuko could still pass off for a high schooler, and she had always had amazing stamina and jump height. 

****

He got his own stamina from training with her, after all. 

****

-v-

****

For one, long day, Yuuri was able to get away with lazing around the hot springs and eating as much as he liked, though he could already hear Celestino’s fond exasperation at finding out how many calories he was consuming. 

****

Of course, he kept it down to a reasonable level (no need to make himself sick right before the Final), but temptation was too great to resist sometimes.

****

Vicchan was more than happy to accommodate Yuuri’s lazy mood, curling around Yuuri’s arm as he watched a movie from his computer. 

****

He did visit the Ice Castle for a few hours, just to get some exercise in, but mostly he and Yuko had fooled around. He had helped teach a few kids when class time rolled around, enjoying maybe what could have been with his childhood crush.

****

He wouldn’t trade the life he had now for anything, though.

****

-v-

****

The time to leave comes all too soon. Flying to Russia was no short trip to the corner store, and he had to be there in time for the practice sessions.

****

The goodbyes were tearful, loud, and slightly snotty, thanks to Minako. It seemed the entire town of Hasetsu were gathered on the beach that day, eating barbeque even though it was practically the middle of winter.

****

The town was strange like that, but it was home. A home he had missed for nearly five years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Mon meilleur ami, s’il vous plaît - My best friend, please
> 
> I like to headcanon Viktor and Yuri as best frenemies so that they can fanboy over Yuuri together.


End file.
